Arlington , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A deep freeze across the South appears to have dampened the pre-Super Bowl fun for fans gathering in the Lone Star State .

Salt spreaders and plows rumbled through Arlington , where sub-freezing temperatures hung in the air amid a mix of debilitating sleet and snow that canceled hundreds of flights Friday , raising questions about whether the Super Bowl host was ready for the rash of inclement weather .

Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck gave the most direct response to critical out-of-towners who showed up days ahead of Sunday 's big game , calling their chilly assessment a Super Bowl-size case of sour grapes .

`` They 're probably jealous , '' Cluck said . `` Everybody is going to be able get in and out easily . So I do n't pay any attention to that . ''

But former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner called the city `` unprepared '' to handle the nation 's biggest sporting event in the wintry weather .

`` When you drive around here right now , there 's nothing going on , '' Warner said . `` It 's like the city is dead , which you do n't expect Super Bowl week . ''

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was a bit more diplomatic , saying the city faced `` a few challenges that we did n't expect , weather-wise . ''

The big game will be played in Cowboys Stadium -- a domed arena with a retractable roof .

Ice and snow slid off the stadium roof Friday and caused injuries to workers below , authorities said .

Gusty winds on the south side of the stadium sent ice falling up to 50-60 feet from the stadium , striking contract employees , according to fire department officials .

One man was struck in the head by ice and was in stable condition at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth , said Lt. Pedro Arevalo of the Arlington Fire Department . Five other men and women had minor injuries , he said .

All stadium entrances have been closed except for an adjacent truck tunnel , which workers and visitors will exit through as a precaution , said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy .

`` The ice should be melted off tomorrow , '' Arevalo told CNN Friday night , describing the hard freeze as extremely unusual .

While Dallas Fort Worth Airport was open , although with reduced traffic , neighboring Love Field Airport in Dallas was closed until Friday afternoon , officials said .

Flights later resumed .

In Dallas , icy roads forced schools and some government offices to close earlier this week , said mayoral spokesman Frank Librio , who appeared undeterred by the weather .

`` We have been planning for this for a whole year , '' Librio said of Sunday 's match-up between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers . `` We 'll be ready . ''

Both teams and their fans are cold weather clubs , accustomed to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay , Wisconsin , and Heinz Field in Pittsburgh .

Forecasters say the sub-freezing temperatures are likely to be gone by game day , when a high of 44 degrees is expected .

While the weather outside wo n't exactly be balmy , the day might be remembered fondly three years from now .

The New Meadowlands Stadium , co-owned by the New York Giants and the Jets , won the bid to host Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford , New Jersey . Fans may then be forced to don winter gloves underneath their giant foam fingers while inside the open-air stadium in what could be the first true cold-weather Super Bowl .

The big game has always been played in either domed stadiums or traditionally warm-weather states .

The 1967 `` Ice-Bowl , '' in which Green Bay eked out a 21-17 win over the Dallas Cowboys in the 35th National Football League championship game , was played amid teeth-chattering temperatures at Lambeau Field .

The Packers then traveled to the warmer climate of Miami to defeat the Oakland Raiders 33-14 in Super Bowl II .

Sunday 's game , Super Bowl XLV , is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m ET .

CNN 's Ed Lavandera and Phil Gast contributed to this report .

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Ice and snow sliding off Cowboys stadium cause several injuries

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Former Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner calls the city `` unprepared ''

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Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck says , `` Everybody is going to be able get in and out easily ''

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Hundreds of flights are canceled in Dallas because of the weather